While plenty of his fellow Nationals farmhands were receiving all kinds of attention and hype, Tom Milone simply went about his business and pitched his tail off. And tonight — after going a combined 36-16 with a 2.99 ERA and a ridiculous 416-to-75 strikeout-to-walk ratio the last three seasons — the 24-year-old lefty makes his big-league debut.

Milone, a 10th-round pick out of USC in 2008, isn't an overpowering pitcher. So his command will need to be superior tonight against the Mets' lineup. Dillon Gee, who has enjoyed a surprisingly strong season himself, starts for New York.

The Nats are featuring an interesting look tonight. Roger Bernadina is back in the lineup, but he's in right field with Jayson Werth in center field. Jesus Flores, who caught Milone plenty of times this season at Syracuse, is behind the plate.

Enjoy the game (and for those attending in person, the postgame concert by Lifehouse)…

This is about the time I lost interest last year — when the September no names appeared. I guess I'm dreaming, but I can't get fired up when I know the guys who give 'em the best chance to win are on the pine. I don't care how remarkable this guy was college or the deep minors, I want to see the top pitcher on the staff — the ace — on the mound when it's his turn: Livan. No concert can compensate for intentionally not playing the best guys. Just IMHO.

Another_Sam – maybe he is the best we can run out there tonight. Chris Marrero is holding his own at 1B. I see your point about the auditions, but if you recall, Danny Espinosa brought some real excitement when he came up last year, as did Desi the year before. It's a dream come true for them and they are still hungry. Sometimes I would rather see the guy trying to make it and really caring than the guys who are already packing to go home and fish. They still have something to play for.

I love seeing baby players come up and make their debuts, and baby pitchers, especially. Another Sam, Danny and Wilson were fun to see last year, and Ian was awesome in his September (comparatively speaking). We were there for Dillon Gee's debut, and he won. I'm counting on the same for Milone.GYFNG!

Am at home and hubby and I just polished off some smoothies and a bowl of peanuts. There are shells and skins all over the couch and carpet. And I'm envious of N. Cog's and Mick's steaks. What time does Giant close? Eh, never mind. It's almost game time.And I like seeing the kids come up, too, but I also see Another_Sam's point about the guys riding the pine, particularly Livo. (Love ya, Livo, you big old gumdrop! Um, I mean that in the nicest possible way, of course.)

I didn't like the pitch selection on the 0-2 to Turner and also didn't like that he didn't get the K call on that inside cutter on Turner which froze him. No K's and who cares, a quick 1-2-3Whoever said he didn't have an "out" pitch obviously didn't see that cutter.

Wow. Turned on the game exactly at Flores 2b, then Milone's jack. So what is the verdict on his pitching so far? I saw the third inning, and thought that he looked pretty good, particularly on the K to Reyes. Faster than I was expecting, too. I had heard 84-88.

Well, I'll offer my two cents on Milone's. He has some deception in his wind up, and comes at the batter from 1b side. I assume from his sterling walk rate in the minors that he can repeat it. It will be interesting to watch him the second andnthird times through an order.He throws hard enough to be effective, but it would be great if he had a real knock out pitch. I haven't seen it, but only watched a few innings. He'll need that control, but assuming it doesn't abandon him up here, I think he should be fine. Back end starter seems reasonable. Kind of reminds me of Randy Wolf, but not as fast.The ump seems to be squeezing him here, although it seems like I feel that way every game.

You all back to reality now? A shame Milone didn't get the corner from the ump on Evans on the 3rd pitch. The 4th pitch would have been a strikeout. Seems to be the way things have gone lately for the Nats.

Rookie pitchers don't get calls. There have been quite of few of those.That second time through the order can be a b__, well, a bear. We are going to need everyone of those 5 runs and then some. Time to start swinging those bats again. Oh – and not just swinging, making good contact and finding some grass.

@A8 8:20 – PitchTrak showed that the ump was right on Milone's 3rd pitch to Evans. Davey said two things in his presser that should cause concern in the clubhouse: that this was the time for everyone to establish that they are "premier championship level players who belong on the team" and "If we don't win 3 out of 4 from here on out, I'm going to have a losing record." There was some steel, something ominous, in his tone.

flynnie, does that apply to Jayson Werth? Who is Davey kidding. He's talking about those that aren't on long-term deals. I want to see what they do with Burnett who has 1 year left and Henry Rodriguez who has no MiLB options left.BIG TALK.

Gorzy's home run pitch to Bay was not over the middle – it was on the outside corner. Good pitch, good hitting by Bay, great announcing by Carp re: bringing in the fences at Shea. And essential F.P. "Davey and McCatty saw something about Milone that the guys in make-up and ties did not see."

I love Davey. Always have. Wonderful to see Jesus back in form – Davey passed over a better-hitting catcher to bring Jesus up when Pudge got hurt, and said that he would end up hitting. Great game, my beautiful wife's salmon in oyster sauce with new potatoes, and a meeting of the Davey Johnson fan club – and here comes Pudge! Life is good!

@NatsLady said… "Davey pulled Milone so he would not get a loss. Gorzy in there to blow the game grooving it for Bay." NatsLady, then you should have quoted them instead of acting like it was your opinion. Did Charlie and Dave also say your 2nd sentence.

@NatsLady said… "Davey pulled Milone so he would not get a loss. Gorzy in there to blow the game grooving it for Bay.Troll, Charlie & Dave did the mind reading. I just report. I'm done now. Bye."NatsLady, then you should have quoted them instead of acting like it was your opinion. Did Charlie and Dave also say your 2nd sentence.

Difference with the Mets in an identical situation in the Top of the 7th that the Nats had in the bottom of the 6th, Mets come through with a Sac Fly instead of a double play.EXECUTING THE PLAY TO SCORE THE RUN

flynnie said… "NatsLady – Please don't leave! I nominate "At least we get wings" for comment of the year! Seriously, your insights are appreciated here, and let the trolls knock themselves out – they despair, outmatched by your superior wit! "Sorry you have that opinion. If you are quoting someone, say it, that's all. Maybe that is what Davey was feeling and if it was, let him say it.If Charlie & Dave said it, I have the radio on and didn't hear it like that.

Wally, there was one time I really did not like Davey. Remember when he took over the O's, and at his initial presser said that he would be the one to end Cal's streak. Then he moved Cal to 3rd, which Tom Boswell said would shorten Cal's career by exacerbating Cal's low back problems. Boz was right, and I seethed at Davey until he took them to that magnificent ALCS against the Indians, in which the O's came within one game from facing Livo and the Marlins in the Series. But Mike Hargrove, managing the Indians, had the wheel play on.

Hey – the mets play small ball. I guess they don't slavishly follow all of those mathematical rules. Glad you guys like Davey – that way you get to see lots more of what you are seeing now. Hope you enjoy it. Drew really needs to pitch. He is not going to be any good for a save if he doesn't get in a game soon. At least we had some offense tonight.

Troll, it is really hard to post from my phone. Yes, they also said that about Gorzy grooving one to Bay on a 3-1 count, a "bad mistake.". I was trying to address the characterization of Davey as impulsive. When I get home I will find the clip from the radio an post it. I am sorry for not realizing that I was in Court and should not give testimony without supporting evidence. Now I am crying because Clip gave up the run and I can't write any more.Troll, it is really hard to post from my phone. Yes, they also said that about Gorzy grooving one to Bay on a 3-1 count, a "bad mistake.". I was trying to address the characterization of Davey as impulsive. When I get home I will find the clip from the radio an post it. I am sorry for not realizing that I was in Court and should not give testimony without supporting evidence. Now I am crying because Clip gave up the run and I can't write any more.

A-troll – do I have to tell you that someone who brings it like NatsLady through this whole season, posting Adam Dunn updates from Target Field while she visits with her family, deserves, is entitled to, better treatment than the personal insult you dealt which has deprived us of her presence? Her explanation that Davey saw the rookie going down in flames and wanted to spare him deserved better than the vapid, non-baseball related, "glad you are a mind reader." We just don't know when our betters are fed-up and fragile, and NatsLady is better than most. Now, thanks to you, she has decided not to throw her pearls before swine. I enjoy your comments and committment to the team, and admit to being vexed by a 1-10 streak topped with a blown 5-0 lead despite a thrilling 1st MLB at bat homer by our rookie pitcher. But I've noticed this site is more civil than most, and your cheap shot was out of place. No more flame wars!

I'm happy to give credit to Davey for a different mood in the clubhouse, but the fact is, they were 2 games over .500 when Riggleman left, and are about to be 11 games under .500 after Davey took over. I'll give him some latitude for tinkering, finding out what will work for next year, but putting Ivan "GIDP" Rodriguez in for Ankiel instead of Gomes I just don't understand. I told my family – he grounds in to a lot of double plays… and sure enough he did. There's not really an excuse for a man on third with one out not scoring. In this case, even leaving Ankiel in was probably a better options. I hope for Davey and the Nats' sake that call doesn't haunt them, but I bet it does.

I don't think MM is very comfortable in LF. He looked awkward on a couple of fly balls last night & tonight. He obviously is not the same guy he was a few weeks ago–always smiling and upbeat. I think the idea that he will be playing OF next year when he really got comfortable at 1B doesn't go well. It's personal management 101. He was originally a SS and feels at home in the infield environment. Closer to the game, more action, whatever. I'd hate to see us waste this guy's talent.

Oldguy said… I don't think MM is very comfortable in LF. He looked awkward on a couple of fly balls last night & tonight. He obviously is not the same guy he was a few weeks ago–always smiling and upbeat. I think the idea that he will be playing OF next year when he really got comfortable at 1B doesn't go well. It's personal management 101. He was originally a SS and feels at home in the infield environment. Closer to the game, more action, whatever. I'd hate to see us waste this guy's talent. September 3, 2011 10:02 PM ______________________________________Its an interesting thought and you could say the same about Zimmerman at the plate.Some guys wish they had 10 game spans like Morse:http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=434604

gonatsgo said… The Davey Johnson era – arrogant bs and losing. But, hey, apparently there is a nice mood in the clubhouse and people like him so it's ok. September 3, 2011 10:07 PM ___________________________You have me laughing. Not much to say except for Davey will be back "Expect it"!

I'm telling you who is eating crow, Thomas Boswell. He has laid his reputation on Davey. Yesterday's Post-game comments should get Boswell's head spinning.For those who were OK with experimenting and taking losses to see what the Nats have, where are you all now?

wow, too bad we won't hear from natslady or troll – both have said they are done for the night – want to bet that one or the other posts something? Still not happy with Davey but it is so nice to win after the last 10 games. Looking forward to watching Livan's last game tomorrow with my son. Hoping for a no-hitter but Davey will probably take him out after 6.

OK, talking about catching crap. Do you remember in that Milwaukee/Pirates game where I said you walk the bases loaded to pitch to Braun and play the odds. Many thought NO.The Mets did that and got beat, I agree with the move and love the results even better.

Nothing beats the drama of the bottom of the 9th, the Nats refusing to be beat. Did you see the smile on Ankiel's face? It's not just about the playoffs, you never know when a diamond miracle is going to appear, and it never gets old.

Swami – completely agree that it was a bad call to walk Bernie. I know Zim hits into a fair amount of DPs, but no way you want to face him with baseball loaded and less than two outs. Gonat – I'll take the other side of that strategy. I say face the worse hitter every time. Why decrease your odds of getting the out?

sjm308 said… wow, too bad we won't hear from natslady or troll – both have said they are done for the night – want to bet that one or the other posts something? Still not happy with Davey but it is so nice to win after the last 10 games. Looking forward to watching Livan's last game tomorrow with my son. Hoping for a no-hitter but Davey will probably take him out after 6. September 3, 2011 10:29 PM _______________________________Davey pulls Flores for a pinch runner. Smart. I would have pulled Gomes back personally once the wild pitch was thrown and put in Livan to bunt.It worked out since Gomes was walked and Desi with the toughest bunt of his career.Bernie Intentionally Walked and Zim finds grass. Do you all think Davey should have pulled Gomes?

Here's where I thought Terry Collins made a mistake. Mets were winning by a run. I think in that situation I pitch to Bernie.In that Milwaukee game it was a tie game with 1 out and men on 2nd and 3rd.How cool if Zim homers in that situation.

Zimm saved everyone's bacon. They better sign this guy to a FOREVER contract.Oldguy, I think you could probably get away with a "platoon" situation where Morse plays everyday, and Laroche plays 1B against righties, Morse against lefties. That'd give Laroche enough playing time to show that he's back, can hit, and is a worthy trade piece. All of this, of course, depends on what Rizzo does about the OF. If Harper is up early, and they get a competent OF / leadoff guy, they can put Morse at 1B earlier on and just get what they can for LaRoche. Perhaps they can trade LaRoche to the Twins for Span? Span has had concussion issues, and Laroche has been hurt…

Gonat – I would have left Gomes (meaning I wouldn't have hunted there).So here is what I would have done differently than Davey tonight: I would not have hit Pudge when he did. If not Gomes, then Ramos and let Pudge be the back up. Looks like NatsLady had it right: Davey said he pulled Milone's so he wouldn't lose the game. Also close to the pitch count he had going in (80). I like Davey, but I HATE that reason.

how many times has flynnie told us about intentional walks and the doom they bring?? Glad our opponents don't read this site.Natslady – just have to let things slide and not get so defensive so quickly. It would be more fun to read your comments then have you go off in a huff. Its just a blog. We love your analysis and ability to provide stats at a moments notice. Just relax and have fun here, its not life and death, its baseball.

Wally said… Swami – completely agree that it was a bad call to walk Bernie. I know Zim hits into a fair amount of DPs, but no way you want to face him with baseball loaded and less than two outs. Gonat – I'll take the other side of that strategy. I say face the worse hitter every time. Why decrease your odds of getting the out? September 3, 2011 10:34 PM ______________________________I agree in that situation and did contradict myself because they had the lead. If it was a tie. You have to go for the double play. I checked back and that Milwaukee game was a tie game.These situations happen a lot and most managers go by the book. I think Terry Collins made a mistake since he had the lead. Maybe he was thinking he got Zimmerman yesterday to roll into a double play.

One of the reasons I read this blog is Mark's writing. Another is NatsLady. I hope she was just done for tonight. We need real FANS. Unabashed Nats non-apologists. GYFNLG! (Anyone care to explain that acronym?

The guys who spent a lot of time in Syracuse this year certainly did not hurt the team tonight — Bernie, Flores, Marrero and Malone. Strassie is in the dugout from the minors, too. If it's going to go this well — bring on some more!

Bernardina has hit to the second baseman three times, two GIDP. But it's textbook, after the wild pitch with men on 2d and 3rd, you've got to walk The Shark, don't you? Here's the "At the Park" summary of the Nats' 9th: Parnell pitching. Flores singled to left. Bixler pinch-running for Flores. J.Gomes pinch-hitting for S.Burnett. On Parnell's wild pitch, Bixler to second. J.Gomes walked. Desmond sacrificed, pitcher Parnell to second baseman Ju.Turner, Bixler to third, J.Gomes to second. Bernadina was intentionally walked. Zimmerman singled to right, Bixler scored, J.Gomes scored, Bernadina to second.

So what is everyone's analysis of Milone? I thought he was ok. Obviously a great first few innings, but I am still waiting to see more. I don't believe he had a walk which is what I expected. I am happy with what is going to be happening here. More Bernadina, Milone, Marrero, Peacock and maybe Lombardozzi. We certainly will have an idea about next year from this coming month. Also want to see a couple of relievers, especially Mock who I understand has been "lights out" the last month in relief.Go nats and come back natslady(anons, trolls and Mick, not so much)

And when Flynnie says "Desi walked" — he bunted on a 3-1 count on a very, very fast , fastball. It was no simple deal, either. It very easily could have all gone wrong right there. I know I sounds like a broken record but I am very concerned about Drew not throwing in a game in a very long time.

Wally said… Looks like NatsLady had it right: Davey said he pulled Milone's so he wouldn't lose the game. Also close to the pitch count he had going in (80). I like Davey, but I HATE that reason.What's wrong with the reason — given that he was near the pitch count? Milone will only have one MLB debut in his life — so why not? (It probably didn't hurt, given that Gorzy got out of the inning). These are the things Davey does that inspires great loyalty from his players.

Not a mind reader, but psychic, because that's exactly what Davey said in the postgame interview. What's your beef with NatsLady, anyway?Anon-A-Troll said… NatsLady said… Davey pulled Milone so he would not get a loss. Gorzy in there to blow the game grooving it for Bay. At least we get wings. September 3, 2011 9:03 PM Again, glad you are a mind reader. September 3, 2011 9:07 PM

Its one game to turn around a horrible 10 game stretch and luckily the Nats won. Now the Nats have to pile it on.Glad to hear Davey pulled Milone to go for the win. I think Davey and Rizzo realize, it is about WINNING.Talking about Drama when the Wang debut happened there were many who thought losing was ok to see what the Nats had. Maybe that was the feeling then and now you can see that Davey got in a bad spot with possibly to much experimentation where losing and complacency can set in.I thought the idea of tandem starting Peacock and Milone made sense to preserve your bullpen. It will be interesting what the Nats do next week when all the callups are activated.

I'm okay with Davey's reason for pulling him, fwiw (not much but still). In fact, I speculated to my husband that he may have done so for that reason (to avoid the kid taking the loss). What? You can't prove that I didn't, so there! ;-)Great win, and I'll be replaying the bottom of the 9th again, I suspect. Now pile on, like Anon8 said. Go, LIVO and NATS tomorrow!!!

Milone was been squeezed all day by the home plate ump all day. without the squeezing and non out call on the pick-off play, he probably gets out of the game or at least the 4th inning without giving up a run.

sjm308 said…So what is everyone's analysis of Milone?Wally said…Well, I'll offer my two cents on Milone's. He has some deception in his wind up, and comes at the batter from 1b side. I assume from his sterling walk rate in the minors that he can repeat it. It will be interesting to watch him the second andnthird times through an order.He throws hard enough to be effective, but it would be great if he had a real knock out pitch. I haven't seen it, but only watched a few innings. He'll need that control, but assuming it doesn't abandon him up here, I think he should be fine. Back end starter seems reasonable. Kind of reminds me of Randy Wolf, but not as fast.The ump seems to be squeezing him here, although it seems like I feel that way every game.September 3, 2011 8:16 PM

For those who didn't see the postgame, it seems that Millone played 1B in high school, but they decided in college that he was better off pitching. Which may explain his prowess with the shillelagh (and I LOL'd when he teed off on that one).

sjm308 said… So what is everyone's analysis of Milone? I thought he was ok. Obviously a great first few innings, but I am still waiting to see more. I don't believe he had a walk which is what I expected. I am happy with what is going to be happening here. September 3, 2011 10:52 PM ____________________________Yep, one start. One solid start. Need to see more and I like what I saw. The Mets were amp'd up for him and I also thought along with FP that he wasn't given the low strike. He didn't get any strikes on the black because he hasn't earned it. My only criticism is on the approach. This isn't AAA. You aren't going to strike them all out. He can't play the nibbling game. If he is, he won't be any more than a #5 pitcher.Loved the inside cutter. Very good curve ball. Decent fastball (not great). Nice changeup. Can't remember if I saw a slider.

Well, the argument against the Davey reason would be the Herm Edwards reason: "You play to win the game," not "You play not to lose."I understand that Davey was trying to do the right thing, just wish the kid got the win.As a critic of Ian Desmond I've got to say that was a terrific and very important bunt. If he maintains his hot streak, I'll be happy to dine on my toes.Speaking of hot shortstops, Zach Walters, the guy the Nats acquired for Jason Marquis, is hitting .429 in his last 10 games at Potomac and has raised his average to .302.

natsfan1a said… For those who didn't see the postgame, it seems that Millone played 1B in high school, but they decided in college that he was better off pitching. Which may explain his prowess with the shillelagh (and I LOL'd when he teed off on that one). September 3, 2011 11:13 PM ________________________________That is the definition of an ambush HR. Doubt he gets that pitch again. He never had a HR in Harrisburg. Couldn't find if he ever hit one in Syracuse.Remember, he is a USC guy so he may have had a few pointers on hitting from Mark McGwire. That would be a great question to ask him as Mark is a USC alum.

DC – I hate that reason because I think pitcher wins or losses are not a good reason to deviate from the first priority of a manager, which is to play or pitch the best player at all times in order to maximize team wins. I have come around to the point of view that pitcher wins/losses are a bad stat. They are arbitrary (starter has to go at least 5, etc), and depend on your team as much or more than the pitcher's performance.If he said he thought Milone was running out of gas or anything else, I am fine with it. But if he thought Milone was the better pitcher right there than Gorzy, but didn't want to risk Milone getting an L in his first start, then I have a problem with him putting the team in a worse position to win (by bringing in someone he considers inferior).Not sure if that made sense.

Was in Section 116 tonight on the third base side. Great game, good crowd. A good many Mets fans in our area but they were fine, if anything hyper critical about their team.Felt Davey was right to remove Milone who was gassed. Better to get him out of their and let it remain a positive debut. Very satisfying win with a Zimmerman walkoff.

Sjm, ya gotta understand something. It is EXTREMELY difficult to post on this site during the game. I usually only post on Twitter. About 2/3 of my posts don't make it at all. The other 1/3 I have to edit so they won't double post, and it takes about 20 minutes, on average, to make a post. So I usually just read this list during the game and don't post at all. When I do post, I try to keep it brief because of the difficulty. I came off Twitter to read the comments here and then I got slammed for the brevity of my post. Then in trying to reply civilly my posts got lost three times and I lost the entire 7th inning from my playbook (I keep score).By the time I finally could reply I was out of patience. Charlie and Dave DID say that about Gorzy grooving the pitch to Bay, and they repeated it in the postgame. And I'm pretty sure it was they who suggested why Davey pulled Milone, but it might have been Kilgore or someone else on Twitter. At any rated it seemed like a reasonable explanation–more reasonable that just saying Davey is impulsive.So I'm not going to post any more DURING games, because it's just not worth it to try to reply to the give and take. If you want to read comments during the game I'll be on Twitter.

Just leaving the stadium now, and couldn't post or read from there. Such a night! Milone is a pitcher. That homerun was really hit. Loved seeing how happy the BP was for him! Loved Bernie and Desi hitting the long ball… Take THAT, doubters. The ovation for Pudge. Werth sliding to second and leaping up to third. Seeing Speedy Gonzalez Bixler come in to run… And why won't Davey hit him? But I digress. Walking Bernie to get to Zimm. Thecway the criwd stood because WE KNEW! Then Zimm dumping it in no/man's land. And coming through the line at the win with a grin and a, "what did you expect?" shrug. I love these guys. I love baseball. Watching it all with my husband sitting next to me finally: priceless.

flynnie said… Gonat – Before you ask him, carefully define "pointers from Mark McGwire" September 3, 2011 11:25 PM ____________________________LMAO, Mark McGwire is one of the nicest guys I have ever met. I met him in 1999 at RFK when the Cardinals played in 2 exhibition games and 2 other times since then.Hard to respect a lot of what he did. I wouldn't be surprised at the least if Milone met him on the USC ballfields when he was there. It would be interesting if he gave him some "batting" pointers. LOL

NatsLady, there are many that won't post during the game so they can concentrate on it. I know SteveM says the same.What is your Twitter handle? I will add you! Heck, I probably already read you! My problem when I am at games is I don't have good phone reception and really trying to concentrate on the game.

Wally interesting thoughts. Who knows what the real reasons were and I only believe Davey was thinking of keeping that 1 run lead as he saw it start to disappear quickly.BTW, I saw that 2 run HR by Evans and credit to Evans for getting that curve ball. It was a good pitch by Milone.

swami– Zimm was great and we all at the park knew he was going to do it because it was an insult that Bernadina was intentionally walked in front of his face. There are times when Zimm just gets his temper up and you know it.Also, that caught stealing, since I was at the park I would like know from people who saw the replay, was he really out? He didn't think so, though he didn't argue. But he stayed flat out with his hand on the bag for a nice long time.And Morse is a very poor first baseman, worse than Adam Dunn according to the stat. His feelings may be hurt that he's not in the infield action. Adam Dunn didn't want to DH. I don't know if DH'ing is the cause of Dunn's misery, and I don't know if playing the outfield will cause Morse to slump, or if being in LF permanently makes Morse angry, or if worrying about Desi getting traded caused Espinosa to slump or a dozen other things like that—because, y'know, I'm not a mind reader.However, the manager and GM do have to balance the players' images of themselves with reality. Morse is not a good first baseman. LaRoche is a magician. I haven't seen enough of Marrero to judge. Them's the facts. LaRoche can't play the outfield because, as he himself said, he isn't fast enough. And why you would want to take a gold-glove quality 1B and put him in the outfield is mystifying, since he's not that great a hitter. But in the case of Morse, you are NOT taking a gold glove infielder and putting him in the outfield so you can have his offense– you are putting a below-average fielder into the easiest position so you can have his offense.

My Twitter handle is NatsLady. I don't always get good reception at the game either, it seems to depend on the size of the crowd and where I sit. I was in Sec 230 today and got pretty fair reception up until the 9th inning. If you search for the hashtag #nats you will see my posts also and you can add me.

Twitter!! my god, I just learned how to get the computer to work. I have never used my phone for anything but emergencies or to meet someone, never even sent a text much less a tweet or twit or whatever. Good to know you are not totally ticked off though. I also do not post during games, I am usually screaming or cursing or drinking and even though I have a laptop, I leave it up in the baseball card room and try and watch the game on the hi-def. If I feel I am jinxing them I will come up here and listen to Charlie and Dave (like I did tonight). Anyway Natslady, you just stay happy and don't let the anons get you down.

Pre-game of Davey on Eckstein:"I think he's one of the best hitting coaches in baseball. He's a hard worker. He's very detail oriented, and I agree with his philosophy. I consider that I know a lot about hitting, and I know a lot about teaching hitting. He's certainly one of the best if not the best in baseball today. I will vouch for him to the nth degree. I work closely with him. We have conversations about every hitter in the lineup. The job for a manager and all my hitting coaches over the years is when he is not getting his message across I come in and maybe say it a different way, but I'm saying the same thing. I love Rick Eckstein. I think he's doing an outstanding job and as far as I'm concerned he's got a great future."

flynnie said… NL – Zimm was definitely tagged before he reached the base. Replays supported blue in this game all the way. September 4, 2011 12:02 AM ____________________________He was tagged on his left jersey sleeve. MASN had the perfect shot of it.

NL – Not that you or anyone else needs my support but I totally support LaRoche at first base next year. The little I saw at the beginning of this season was like a different game from what we had been watching and he was hurt! This is a young man that has averaged 20 HR and over 80+ rbi's during the last 8 years so getting him back in the lineup only strengthens us in two positions (assuming Morse continues to hit as well). FA Centerfielder DesmondZimmLaRocheMorseEspinosaWerthRamos

I don't post a lot on Twitter during games either, some people are much better, they post links and photos and it's fun to look at them if you get good reception and there is a little lag in the game. The tweets when Milone hit the dinger were great and they put up photos of the bullpen which was fantastic, though I could see that part, and it was unbelievable.When you have a team like the Nats that are out of it, each game is an individual contest. You have to look at it that way. And this one was great, it had everything, even tears for Clipp… And, about Henry, er, you were saying—-???

Wally said… DC – I hate that reason because I think pitcher wins or losses are not a good reason to deviate from the first priority of a manager, which is to play or pitch the best player at all times in order to maximize team wins.I think the first priority of the manager — for the Nats in Sept 2011 — is to do whatever he can to get the Nats into playoffs, if possible, in 2012. That means — for this year — developing players, giving them confidence, given them ownership, letting them learn from mistakes, stretching them, seeing which of the AAA guys have enough stuff for the bigs, etc., even if it costs a few games this month.

NatsLady said… And Morse is a very poor first baseman, worse than Adam Dunn according to the stat._____________________Dunn couldn't scoop a lot of balls on low throws in the dirt. That is the area where I think Morse is better. I hear what you say about UZR stats. Morse misses too many balls hit to his backhand. LaRoche is amazing to his right where being a lefty helps.I think if Mark Z. was to ask Morse about playing leftfield he doesn't care at all so long as he is playing. Keep in mind all the running you do as an outfielder and that may have a fatiguing factor is all I can think of. Morse is still hitting HRs and RBIs.

What a game! I think that may have been the best (i.e., most interesting) game I've attended this year. And it came out right.And as to the NatsLady vs. A-troll dispute, my general policy is to pretend, most of the time, that Anons don't exist. Certainly an Anon who adds Troll to his/her name should not even be on my radar. Anybody who proudly wears that handle doesn't deserve to be included in the discussion.I get tired of that trollery crap here on the Insider. Most of the time it's a good place. I'd hate to see it descend into what Nats Journal became right before it became logistically difficult to post there.

Gonat– 2 good points. (1) Yes, we all have in mind the image of Morse stretching out like a dancer doing the splits to scoop those balls. But he doesn't have range and he hangs close to the base, which was confusing to Espinosa the first time he played with Marrero and Marrero charged a bunt like a first baseman is supposed to do.(2) Also interesting about the fatigue factor of the longer runs in the OF. Conditioning should help there.

NatsLady, agree with you except I think Morse will improve with extra work at 1st. If I choose between LaRoche at 1st or Morse, I choose LaRoche.I still think in 2013, Morse will be the Opening Day 1st baseman.

Oh, yeah, one more thing. In the bottom of the 9th, when they walked Bernie to get to Zimm, Carp stated that he was surprised that there were any Nats fans booing (I myself was saying, "thank you" to the Mets skipper at the time). After the game, as I regaled my hubby with the tale of the 9th, it occurred to me that maybe it was the Mets fans booing their skipper's choice?

Maybe he didn't have a dinger there, but yeah, like I said, prowess. ;-)http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2011/07/milone_pitches_hits_chiefs_to.htmlGonat said… natsfan1a said… For those who didn't see the postgame, it seems that Millone played 1B in high school, but they decided in college that he was better off pitching. Which may explain his prowess with the shillelagh (and I LOL'd when he teed off on that one). September 3, 2011 11:13 PM ________________________________ That is the definition of an ambush HR. Doubt he gets that pitch again. He never had a HR in Harrisburg. Couldn't find if he ever hit one in Syracuse. Remember, he is a USC guy so he may have had a few pointers on hitting from Mark McGwire. That would be a great question to ask him as Mark is a USC alum. September 3, 2011 11:18 PM

Depot Master:This is a long post, so bear with me. There are links at the bottom to back up my statements about Morse's fielding as a first baseman.While a high fielding percentage is regarded as a sign of defensive skill, it is also possible for a player of lesser defensive skill to have a high fielding percentage, as it does not reflect or take into account a player's defensive range; a slow-footed first baseman, for example might have a high fielding percentage simply because he rarely drops a batted or thrown ball or makes an errant throw. Likewise, a relatively slow outfielder might have a high fielding percentage even though he doesn't reach many of the fly balls which a faster player would catch. Conversely, a highly skilled fielder might have a comparatively low fielding percentage by virtue of reaching, and potentially missing, a greater number of balls.–WikipediaMike Morse doesn't make a lot of errors, in fact, he had a long errorless streak, if I recall. So you want to go a little deeper.Here is a list of guys who have played 1B this year in the NL (100 innings or more), using the so-called "advanced" stats like UZR. UZR stands for "Ultimate Zone Rating." You will see Adam LaRoche near the top, and Michael Morse second from the bottom. I did NL only so it would fit on one page. If you look at MLB as a whole, Adam Dunn is–right now–a little below Morse, but a few days ago it was flipped…NL First Basemen ranked by UZR.Here is an article explaining UZR. There is a certain amount of subjectivity in defensive stats, even if you dispute some of the rankings or some of the plays, the difference between Morse's rank and LaRoche's rank is dramatic.Explanation of UZR.Now, if you want to look at the total picture, then Morse is pretty high up there among first basemen.However, if you look at his defensive rating of -9.2 he is the worst in the NL.NL First Basemen by WAR .

Flynnie: just finished off the last piece of Devils food cake with vanilla icing last Tuesday and have longed for another ever since. The key to that cake is a nice glass of port along side. (unless you are sunshine bobby and have the obligatory maalox and bourbon)Dave – totally agree about the anons/trolls and whatever and it appears Natslady is totally back in stride.No Hitter today I am telling you I feel it!!!go nats

One other thing, the sequel, also for those who didn't see the broadcast. Word is that FP is on the roster of the celebrity team that will play the wounded warriors team after today's Nats game. Don't think I'll be there, as we have tix for tomorrow and I can't talk my hubby into three games in two days. (I'm like. "But it's Livo. And FP." What's up with that? ;-)) Hope that the MASN cameras can get some footage of FP.

(While I do realize that this isn't Ms. Tracee Hamilton's Official Beverage Chat, I must opine that imho the ideal accompaniment is a strong cup of coffee. Oh, and if you happened to tip a bit of that coffee into the *chocolate* frosting while you were mixing it up, so much the better. Um, how about those Nats?? Heh.)

Gonat, love the Davey quote on Milone which has been the exact opposite quote on MPHRod by some esteemed members here.Last night was good HenRod and Bad Clippard. Hope Clip is ok. FP is worried about him.

Mark'd: On Clipp, I'm not worried but I have observed that recently his change-up has not been working. Charlie and Dave excused it as rust from lack of work, but he's always been at his best when well-rested, and he has had some work lately. It's a little soon to be worried but last year he got a tired arm late in the season so Davey's been careful about overuse.

Buehrle pitching today NatsLady. Fpcsteve, agree with you. I am with SteveM, priority still on pitching over all over needs and bullpen pitching too. Detwiler to the 'pen. Dont rush the young pitchers with Milone and Peacock. This audition will show their weaknesses they have to work on.

Henry worked FAST last night. Fast for Henry, I mean. I wonder if that is one of the keys to whether or not we see Good Henry out there. I'm wondering if Clip is just underused recently or hurt…did FP say what he was worried about? Thinking about Desi getting us on the board so fast last night, AND laying down that sweet bunt At the end (almost beat it out, too)… what a great night for him. We booed when they pitched around the Shark, even knowing it would bring up Zimm. Going to Baltimore today for a car race of some kind. Have to say, I wish I was going to be there to see Livo get his shut out, and remind 'em why he should be 4 or 5 for us next year.Finally, total picture Morse: I love him. More than I loved total picture Dunn.Finally finally…I think the game has passed by Davey. I'd rather see a bunch of other guys in there instead, including Bo Porter. He is awesome, out there.Finally finally finally: devil's food cake never lasts long enough around me to notice what beverage is near by. Coffee, milk, champagne, water, bourbon and maalox all work. Especially if there's ice cream on the side.GYFLG!

Michael Morse is not a first baseman. Morse stepped in due to injury to Adam LaRoche because he was the best available on the Nats roster, and he did a helluva job. Last year Adam Dunn was moved to 1B because the Nats had to find a place to hide his limited defensive skills. Maybe not the worst OF that I ever saw, but Dunn was very bad. UZR is a pretty informative statistic, though its flaw is that it is somewhat subjective, as is my opinion, that any comparison that says that Morse isn't much, if any , better then Adam Dunn defensively at 1B is ludicrous. If Dunn had been playing first for us this year in the games that Morse played, I honestly think that the team's ERA would be about a half of run higher and between them, Desmond and Espinosa would have 7-10 more errors charged to them. Dunn couldn't jump for high thrpws, nor get down and pick the low ones on the bounce.

Joe– I wasn't seriously comparing Morse to Dunn, I agree that was a fluke in the stats and the more Dunn plays 1B, the poorer his stats get. One of the risks of UZR is looking only at one season (which I was doing) and Dunn was DH'ing a lot of the time. You are supposed to look at three years of a person in a position, but I didn't have that for Morse at 1B, obviously.My point was the same as yours, Morse is not a first baseman. He put out a tremendous effort there–for sure. But people–unnamed–who say he should be at 1B on a permanent basis should maybe rethink that.

Just catching up. 1A now seems officially hip and dangerous. First bold and italic characters. Now hyperlinks. What's left to master?And JaneB, I noticed you posted leaving the stadium at 11:34, and yet no report about Lifehouse?Bummer.How was da show?How long was the break between game and concert?Where did they set up?Did they keep concessions open?How long did they play?

LOL, Sunderland. Thanks, I'll take that as a compliment. ;-)Also, dredging up a post from late August (see below). Something just occurred to me. What if we did this and the message on the ball somehow commemorated Livo's career as a Nat/Expo? Just a thought…Grandstander said… Oh, and while we're on the topic of the amazing community of posters here, an idea that's been kicking around in my head the last month or so was a bunch of us getting together and chipping in on one of those Dream Foundation supporter baseballs that you can get inscribed and placed on the wall by the Home Plate Team Store. It's $250 for one, 10 people, $25. Money goes to charity and Hacking the Gorse, GYFNG! gets immortalized at the stadium. Just something I've had floating in my head and wanted to gauge any possible interest. August 30, 2011 3:30 PM

To continue on my rant, Morse is not exactly grace in motion in the outfield either, though he rarely makes critical mistakes. He doesn't seem to have what is often referred to as the natural radar that great outfielders possess to get the jump right off the crack of the bat to take the best path to the ball. That said, you also don't often see him take a couple of steps "in" at the crack, only to have the ball go flying over his head as Nyjer, Milledge, Dunn, Willingham, and a host of others did repeatedly. Now, in the case of Chris Marrero, he was a kid that played 3B until he was drafted, and with Ryan Zimmerman entrenched at third, the Nats had to find another position for him. The OF experiment didn't work out so good, so they moved him to 1B which also didn't work out so good in the beginning. This year the improvement by Chris was pretty dramatic, due to hard work on his part, and a lot of coaching by the organization on how to play the position. That's one reason why, as NatsLady pointed out, Marrero charges bunts" like a first basemen is supposed to." Before this year, Morse had some , but limited, 1B experience. For a guy who got thrown into playing it full time, he did a great job.GYFNG!!!

Right, that is key, Morse plays with his head on his shoulders. Watched him duck out of the way when Werth came flying in to get a ball. Not only is he unlikely to take bad routes, he's unlikely to crash into other outfielders or let balls drop amoung three of them because no one knows whose ball it is. Am getting ready to go to the game, but if someone has time, is Morse's arm about average or above?Also, even given that 1B and LF are the two "easiest" positions to play, they are NOT the same, the skills needed are very different. So an adjustment period back to the outfield is in order.

Don't sell Morse short at 1st. Like it or not he will be the 2013 1st baseman in my opinion. His height and good hands on scoop throws makes him serviceable there and he can improve. Its also a new position for him. He has to improve on those hard shots to his backhand from the lefty batters.

That's a really good point about coaching 1B. Morse got thrown in there with no real chance to learn the position at all; the other infielders made up for it but his stats suffered. The infield developed a style that matched Morse's "limitations" as a first baseman, and all parties, including Morse, should be given kudos for that.

Speaking of Nyjer, as Joe Seamhead was, was clicking over to MLB Network during breaks last night and Morgan had a highlight reel catch in Houston. After the play, he did that palms-up arm raise thing that football players do when they're inciting the crowd to cheer/boo louder.Sunderland, not sure if it will let me use the code here without a URL but I had an assist from the web browser: text in which link will be embedded here

1a, I'm in on both counts!Lifehouse set up in about 15 minutes, right around where Shortstops live. Loud. Said it was a thrilling game.Did I mention loud? Left after about 8 songs. Crowd into it and more stayed than I expected.

Okay, that didn't work. Let's try this.First you type a left elbow bracket. Inside the left elbow bracket you type the followinga href="URL" (with the actual URL being inside the quotes)Then you type a right elbow bracket. Following the right elbow bracket you type the word(s) in which you want the link to be embedded.To finish it up you type a left elbow bracket followed by /a and a right elbow bracket.

@Sunderland, I didn't stay for the whole concert, but I sat and did my scorebook totals as they got started. It was loud, but as recent rock goes, it was more or less my cup of tea: fairly melodic alt-rock. Audience sat in the stands (mostly lower bowl), although a couple hundred people were allowed to go onto the field and stand on the infield dirt in front of the stage. (I don't know how those folks were selected; I guess they're just special.)I was very impressed with the logistics. In what seemed like less than a minute after Zimmy's broken-bat bloop fell, the grounds crew was rolling a bunch of trailers out through the centerfield gate (where the racing presidents come through). The trailers were pre-set with all the sound equipment and instruments. They must've been ready to play in about 15 minutes after the game was over. All rolling and walking was done on the dirt paths (warning track and infield dirt). No grass was harmed in the staging of this concert.Some concession stands–including alcohol–were kept open, or re-opened, for the show. The stadium lights stayed full.I would guesstimate there were maybe 5,000-6,000 people who stayed for the concert–maybe more.They were loud, though. As my brother and I were walking up Half Street to get to the under-the-freeway parking lot, we could still hear the band at L street.

So, Gonat, are you saying that all of the time, work,and expense the Nats put into Chris Marrero was for naught? Like NatsLady, I don't see MM as a long term, full time 1B, but you may be right.As far as Morse's arm, last year when he played RF he made some very good throws all the way to third. I'd rate his arm as very good, but not Rick Ankiel good, but then again, how many people can throw a baseball like it's been shot from a 7mm Remington Magnum? Morse also hits the cut-off when he's supposed to.

I keep the model for links and other stuff on Notepad and then copy it over. One final point: the 30K rule for vendors struck again. (34K at the game last night).Went out during the President's race to get something to eat (so, NOT late in the game).Sausages, not ready. Popcorn, not ready. Some other yummy looking item, after I paid for it they said it would take 10-15 minutes to be ready. I got a refund. Finally "settled" for the tomato and basil pizza–which I really like, BUT no pepper or cheese packets left and no napkins left, had to hunt around for napkins.The vendors have GOT to up their game if we get a winning team.

Joe, Morse isn't starting today BTW. Morse is a Free Agent after 2013 so Chris Marrero is your insurance right now if Morse leaes. I think CM can be a 2012 Bench role guy and could play against Lefty pitching. Some will think Marrero needs to play every day. Many teams don't subscribe to that theory unless the player is a sure thing. I am not sure Marrero is a sure thing. I do think he will be better than a Jonny Gomes and can help this team.

Didn't stay for the concert but on the postgame they said it was planned for 20 minutes after the game and it was EXACTLY on target. Their guitar player did the National Anthem and he was excellent and got a really loud cheer. Traffic was wonderfully light on the way home…